After scraping home with a draw on Ranchi's rolled mud, the visitors are set to confront more favourable conditions when they arrive in Dharamsala.

Days out from the start of the deciding Test, pictures in Indian media show the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association deck resembling a green mamba rather than the dust bowl Australian teams have come to expect on the subcontinent.

Pitches can change markedly in the final days leading into a match, but it will take a dramatic transformation for it to turn into anything remotely like the spin-friendly conditions in which India thrive.

Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood will enjoy bowling more on this pitch than the featherbed in Ranchi, which lacked bounce and carry.

One thing is certain, the term "pitch doctoring" will not pass the lips of any Australian this week.

Australia have been embarrassed on lively surfaces, such as Trent Bridge and Hobart, but the prospect of a juicy pitch will warm the hearts of Steve Smith's men and send chills down the spines of the hosts.

The shock development means seamer Jackson Bird will come into strong contention for a recall at the expense of one of the spinners.

"It will behave as it has done naturally here; it will stay fast and bouncy," curator Sunil Chauhan told The Times of India newspaper.

"Our pitch is one of the most difficult ones for the batsmen [when facing fast bowlers] in Ranji Trophy, and its nature won't be altered."

Speed has prevailed over spin in the three first-class games played at the venue this season.

Australia will now think long and hard about deviating from their subcontinental spin-twin policy and possibly hand Bird a shock call-up. The Tasmania paceman has not played all series but has impressed the coaching staff with his form in the nets.

It would leave selectors with a difficult choice over which spinner, Nathan Lyon or Steve O'Keefe, to leave out as both have strong claims to stay in the 11.

The extra bounce will suit Lyon, who has been Australia's premier spinner during the past four years, while O'Keefe is Australia's leading wicket taker this series and played an important defensive role in Ranchi.

India's batsmen have struggled on wickets that favour pace. They have never won a series in Australia and in 2014 they were crushed in England.

There has been considerable rainfall in Dharamsala, which sits at the base of the Himalayas.

The venue is hosting its debut Test but is not unfamiliar to Australia, who played there during last year's World T20.